{"id":2974,"date":"2011-03-10T23:48:09","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T21:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=2974"},"modified":"2022-06-09T21:13:48","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T19:13:48","slug":"are-you-raising-a-technological-wizard-or-a-creative-imaginative-thinker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/internet\/are-you-raising-a-technological-wizard-or-a-creative-imaginative-thinker\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you raising a technological wizard or a creative, imaginative thinker?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago I had a major deadline. It was 10pm and I still had to write a 2800 word article that night. Ciara didn\u2019t want to go to sleep. I pulled out my laptop and sat on my bed, trying to work while she entertained herself, waiting for her to fall asleep. My plan failed. She became excited and rushed off to fetch her laptop and her \u201chomework\u201d book. She then proceeded to work next to mommy, but it\u2019s hard to write when you have \u201cMary had a Little Lamb\u201d, playing over and over through her laptop and your head.<\/p>\n

At almost three, she knows what a cell phone is and comes running with it when it rings so I can answer it.<\/p>\n

Yesterday she told me to put down my phone and play with her. It made me realise how addicted I have become to technology, even outside working hours.<\/p>\n

What are we teaching our children? It is true, that in this age of information, it has become critical to teach our young ones computer literacy. They need to know how to use MS Office, email and the internet, but are our children losing out on the carefree childhood we experienced?\u00a0 As a child I spent all my time outside, playing with my friends, riding my bike, climbing trees and jungle gyms, scraping my knees more than once.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that something we should be encouraging in our children?<\/p>\n

In a world where technology is progressing rapidly, and the majority of children know more than we do about computers, cell phones, iPods, Nintendo\u2019s and Playstation\u2019s, how do we know when it\u2019s the right time to introduce technology to our children?<\/p>\n

There really is no right or wrong answer here. I think it\u2019s a case of balance. It\u2019s necessary to have our children prepared, but we need to help them to embrace their spirit of adventure and encourage a vivid imagination.<\/p>\n

In South Africa our children are scoring a C- on their \u201cHealthy Kids Report Card<\/a>\u201d. One in three children watches more than three hours of TV per day. Our children are at risk to predators on their cell phones on programmes MXit, and they\u2019re putting out too much personal information on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.<\/p>\n

I think a good time to introduce technology to our children, is when they have a clear understanding of the responsibility and consequences linked to its usage. Online consensus through a number of different articles on the topic seems to be that eight years old is a safe time, but this means they\u2019re not computer literate when they go to school, which seems necessary these days, so I\u2019m not entirely sure.<\/p>\n

What do you think is the best age for introducing your children to technology and should we be leading by example and limiting our usage or is it more of a \u201cdo as I say and not as I do\u201d situation?<\/p>\n

Copyright <\/strong>\u00a9<\/strong> Lindsay Grubb 2011 – All rights reserved<\/strong><\/p>\n

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